Specifically, the band sold the trophy – a crystal microphone at a Facebook charity auction. The auction ended at $900,000, which will be enough to purchase three drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as the Ukrainian news platform Ukrinform reported on May 30. The band expressed their enthusiasm and gratitude on Facebook: The auction was led by Ukrainian TV presenter Serhiy Prytula, according to a Reuters report. During the event, he said that the planned aircraft that the Ukrainian army will purchase with this money is the PD-2 unmanned aerial system – including three aircraft and a ground control station.
Emotional victory for the nation under attack
The band won the song contest with their entry “Stefania,” causing an outpouring of support from around the world and an emotional victory praised by the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, himself. In an online message following the Kalush Orchestra victory, Zelensky said: Even though the jury votes had placed Ukraine in fourth place, the country had won the competition thanks to the record-breaking votes of the viewers from nations all over the world. Dubbed the “special military operation” by the Russian authorities, the invasion of Ukraine has entered its fourth month, claiming thousands of civilian lives, wrecking the once-sprawling cities, and forcing millions to flee their homes and seek shelter elsewhere. Watch the Kalush Orchestra’s winning Eurovision performance of “Stefania”: Watch the official video of “Stefania”:
